A portfolio provides a visual representation of your best work, and it is usually supplemented by written documentation such as your biography, resume, and testimonials or references. You should start creating a jewelry portfolio as soon as you commence making or designing jewelry, so you can show it to interested gallery owners and merchants, potential clients and educational institutes. Creating a jewelry portfolio involves making a master copy, a resource copy, and a call for entry copy, and you'll need a cover letter, your resume and biography, slides, prints or photographs of your jewelry, a written description of the slides, prints, or photographs, and your artist's statement. Read the following steps to learn how to create a jewelry portfolio.

Steps

1

Create your master copy. This is a collection of documentation all of your creative works and should be constantly updated, though you should never send it out. Include designs, photos, and slides, as well as a written description of each piece.

2

Create your resource copy. This is a jewelry portfolio you can place in a portfolio registry that's operated by your provincial crafts or arts council, so interested parties can review your work and contact you if they like what they see.

Include a cover letter that introduces you as a jewelry maker. Address it to the person or organization that will review your jewelry portfolio and explain your motivations for submitting it. You should also briefly list the other elements in your portfolio such as your resume, biography, slides, written description and artist's statement.

Include your resume to give a brief overview of your education and relevant professional activities. State your name and contact information clearly at the top, followed by sections that describe your education, work experience, skills and relevant accomplishments, any volunteer work you do or have done in the past that relates to jewelry making, a list of awards, exhibitions, publications and reviews. Arrange each section chronologically with the most recent events at the beginning.

Add a short biography that explains what motivated you to start creating jewelry and what your journey has been so far. Explain any progression in your work, techniques and mediums. If relevant, mention how your work is sold or shown

Include high quality slides, prints or photographs of your work. Go to a professional photographer to ensure the images represent your work to its fullest. It's best if you choose 1.37 inch (35 mm) slides, which are the most accepted format of visual documentation. Mark each slide clearly with your name and the year, and give each a number so you can make a slide list. If you don't want to use slides, high quality photographs or prints of your work are an accepted medium too.

Add a written description of the slides, prints or photographs. This should provide sufficient information for the viewer to understand each piece, so always include the title, the size of the piece, the medium and techniques used, and the date of completion.

Include your artist's statement, which should be a brief description of your work and creative progress expressed in your own words.

3

Create your call for entry copy. This differs from the resource copy in that you will target it to a specific opportunity such as a grant or a commission.

Write your proposal. This should be a detailed description of what you intend to do if your entry is selected, i.e. how you would use the grant money or how you would create a piece that fits the requirements of the commission.

Include any support materials. These are usually materials in which you or your work are featured, such as magazine articles, newspaper clippings, or catalogues. If you have promotional material or business cards, include them.

Contain your portfolio materials in a presentation folder. It's standard to use an 8.5 by 11 inch(21.59 cm by 27.94 cm) 3-hole binder. Clearly mark your name on the front and on the spine. If you like, you can make an impression by adding a creative cover to your binder.

Community Q&A

If this question (or a similar one) is answered twice in this section, please click here to let us know.

Tips

For a more accessible portfolio, consider creating an online jewelry portfolio like the ones at Dexigner.com. You include the same information as a conventional portfolio, but display it on either your own website or a collective website that features multiple artists.